About a month ago I read almost all of John Green's books. They're so great. They're like the book versions of John Hughes' movies or something. Check out "looking for Alaska" next, if you haven't already read it.

About a month ago I read almost all of John Green's books. They're so great. They're like the book versions of John Hughes' movies or something. Check out "looking for Alaska" next, if you haven't already read it.

I'm getting in to The Yiddish Policemen's Union. I hate to say this, but I kind of wish I had the ebook version as there are a lot of things I would look up. Since I usually read on the train, I've just been plowing through with context clues.

_________________I would eat Dr. Cow pocket cheese in a second. I would eat it if you hid it under your hat, or in your backpack, but not if it was in your shoe. That's where I draw the line. -allularpunk

I continued my SDS and WUO reading with "Underground" by Mark Rudd. It was better written than Bill Ayer's memoir and more regretful. I had no problems with Rudd's repentance for splintering SDS and the violent tactics of the WU. But from his tone it also seems that in middle age he's given up on the socialist project altogether in favor of a mushy liberalism.

Next up, I'm finishing my SDS/WU reading with "Love and Struggle" by David Gilbert.

Fun series! You are lucky to be starting now when all four books are out and you don't have to wait. I have Lavawitch to thank for encouraging me to keep going when I wasn't sure if I was liking Soulless at first. Enjoy!

_________________"That is some very responsible yolo-ing." - allularpunk"We are simple people, my husband is a mechanic with dirty hands, my daughter is a blue haired lesbian who's favorite activity is making people uncomfortable." - torque

I finished The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean a week ago and loved it. It's all about the sordid past of the elements on the periodic table. I have always enjoyed science but never really studied it in school. This was fascinating and made me interested in physics and chemistry, which I never thought possible. Now I'm reading his second book The Violinist's Thumb which is about the history and stories surrounding DNA.

vijita wrote:

The new Leonard Cohen biography. I'm iffy on biographies, but this one seems better than most, and Cohen is fascinating.

All on my to read list!

_________________"That is some very responsible yolo-ing." - allularpunk"We are simple people, my husband is a mechanic with dirty hands, my daughter is a blue haired lesbian who's favorite activity is making people uncomfortable." - torque

About a month ago I read almost all of John Green's books. They're so great. They're like the book versions of John Hughes' movies or something. Check out "looking for Alaska" next, if you haven't already read it.

Will do! The only other book of his that I have read is WG, WG but I am keen to read the rest of his :)

Rhizopus Oligosporus wrote:

fruitbat wrote:

Just started Gail Carriger's Soulless.

Fun series! You are lucky to be starting now when all four books are out and you don't have to wait. I have Lavawitch to thank for encouraging me to keep going when I wasn't sure if I was liking Soulless at first. Enjoy!

Good to know, I found book 1 at a book sale but haven't read it yet. Also it is so good starting a series that's already finished :)

About a month ago I read almost all of John Green's books. They're so great. They're like the book versions of John Hughes' movies or something. Check out "looking for Alaska" next, if you haven't already read it.

Will do! The only other book of his that I have read is WG, WG but I am keen to read the rest of his :)

Fun series! You are lucky to be starting now when all four books are out and you don't have to wait. I have Lavawitch to thank for encouraging me to keep going when I wasn't sure if I was liking Soulless at first. Enjoy!

I think it's five books, acutally, but all published. I was holding off on reading them for the longest time. Partly because I was experiencing some supernatural fatigue... What actually made me pick it up at last was seeing an interview with Gail Carriger where she talked about how being a trained archaeologist influences her writing (I think it was on Sword & Laser). Anyway, it does seem like fun and also a pretty quick read.

I just finished "Love and Struggle" by David Gilbert, who is currently serving a 75-year prison sentence. The book was amazing. I don't approve of all the actions Gilbert was associated with, but his commitment to social justice is inspiring. If you are not already familiar with the story of Students for a Democratic Society and the Weather Underground, I'd start somewhere else though. Gilbert assumes the reader has some knowledge of the events he writes about.

I finished The Yiddish Policemen's Union only to find out it totally had a glossary in the back. I wish they would have put that in the front. Overall I liked it. It almost felt like it should be a movie though. Maybe that's just because I liked the characters so much and would like to see them. Dialogue was excellent, and after 100 pages or so became suspenseful. There were some beautiful phrases in the book, but I don't disagree with a GoodReads review I saw that said he could just sense Chabon patting himself on the back while writing it.

I'm now starting Icelander by Dustin Long for the third time. Hopefully I get through it this time. It's not even a long book! It has a pretty big invented world though, and the protagonist doesn't seem to have a name, which kind of peas me off. Has anyone else read it?

_________________I would eat Dr. Cow pocket cheese in a second. I would eat it if you hid it under your hat, or in your backpack, but not if it was in your shoe. That's where I draw the line. -allularpunk

I finally finished A Brief History of Britain: 1851 - 2010. I think part of the reason why I wasn't keen is because the author seemed to glamourise the empire and gloss over the awfulness of it.

I'm now reading Atrocitology, which is a compilation of the 100 worst atrocities in history (committed by people against people) based on body count. It's in chronological order rather than rank order, so I think I've already seen a couple in the top 10 (and certainly in the top 20). I'm about 1/4 of the way through, and it's already in the 1500s, so it looks like the vast majority will be fairly modern. I like that it's in chronological order because the earlier episodes provide background to later episodes. The writing is also pretty good - it's witty and often funny. I'd recommend it if you're a history buff and/or creepy and weird.

_________________A pie eating contest is a battle with no losers. - amandabear